Crops › Beetroot
How to grow Beetroot
in the UK
Sow March to July, harvest June to October. About 60 days from seed to plate.
Beetroot's a cracking root veg, proper easy to grow on the plot, honestly. You can sow it most of the summer, and it doesn't take long till you're pulling them up for dinner, you know what I mean.
Sowing
Start sowing direct outdoors from March, right through to July. I always say sow a little bit often, every few weeks, that way you get a steady harvest rather than a massive glut all at once. Pop seeds 2-3cm deep, about 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Don't worry too much about the last frost date with beetroot, they're tough enough for the unpredictable North East weather, even if it's a bit nippy early on.
Growing on
Once they get going, you might need to thin them out a bit, especially if you're not using a monogerm variety. Aim for plants about 10-15cm apart eventually, giving them room to swell up nicely. You can always eat those thinnings, proper little baby leaves and roots, they're lovely. No need for hardening off or anything fancy like that, just get 'em in the ground.
Looking after it
Keep 'em watered, especially when it's dry, or they can get a bit woody and tough. A bit of compost or well-rotted manure around them helps keep the moisture in and weeds down, which saves you work. Don't really need feeding much, unless your soil's really poor, they're not too demanding.
What goes wrong
Watch out for leaf miner, they make squiggly lines on the leaves; just squish 'em between your fingers, that usually sorts them. Slugs can be a bother too, especially on younger plants on the plot. Keep an eye out and pick them off early on, before they cause too much damage.
Harvest
You'll be pulling them up in about 60 days from sowing, from June right through to October. I like 'em golf-ball size myself, but you can let them get to tennis-ball size before they go woody. Twist the leaves off rather than cutting, then store them in a cool, dark place for later.
To be honest, I always sow a short row every two or three weeks; that way you've always got fresh beetroot coming and never too much all at once.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Boltardy This is a classic, really reliable variety known for not bolting early, even if the weather turns a bit cold. It's a cracking choice for getting an early crop on the go without too much fuss. | No club votes yet |
| Detroit 2 Detroit 2 gives you lovely, uniform round roots, proper traditional beetroot. A dependable maincrop variety that's good for everyday use. | No club votes yet |
| Pablo F1 Pablo F1 produces smooth-skinned roots, which are great for easy preparation in the kitchen. This one's good for a later harvest, extending your beetroot season. | No club votes yet |
| Cylindra Cylindra gives you long, cylindrical roots, which are grand for slicing evenly. It’s a heritage variety, a bit different from the usual round ones, and great for salads. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Chioggia Chioggia is a real looker when you slice it open, with its distinctive red and white rings. It's also known for being quite disease-resistant, making it a reliable choice. | No club votes yet |
| Touchstone Gold If you fancy something a bit different, Touchstone Gold gives you lovely golden roots that look smashing on a plate. It's a good one for growing in containers if you're short on space on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Alto F1 Alto F1 produces a long, cylindrical root that's known for being sweet and smooth. A quality maincrop variety, perfect if you like your beetroot easy to slice and full of flavour. | No club votes yet |
| Red Ace F1 Red Ace F1 is another cracking choice if you're keen to get an early crop going, as it matures quickly. It also offers good resistance to bolting, which is always a bonus up here. | No club votes yet |
| Cheltenham Green Top This heritage variety gives you lovely long roots, which makes it absolutely ideal for storing over winter. If you want beetroot through the colder months, Cheltenham Green Top is the one to go for. | No club votes yet |
| Wodan Wodan produces smooth-skinned roots, which are just what you want for easy prep in the kitchen, especially if you're pickling. It's a solid maincrop choice that holds its quality well. | No club votes yet |
| Baby Action F1 If you're after tiny, sweet beets that don't even need cooking, Baby Action F1 is your best bet. It's an early variety, perfect for small, tender harvests. | No club votes yet |
| Moneta Moneta is a monogerm variety, which means less faffing about with thinning out, so that's a job saved. It's a reliable maincrop that gives you good, consistent roots. | No club votes yet |
| Albina Vereduna Albina Vereduna gives you pure white flesh with a lovely mild, sweet flavour, a real change from the usual red. It's a heritage variety that stands out on the plate and tastes cracking. | No club votes yet |
| Bull's Blood Bull's Blood is brilliant if you want those deep red leaves for adding colour to your salads, even when the roots are small. It's a heritage variety that still gives you decent roots too, like a two-for-one deal. | No club votes yet |
| Bikores Bikores is a cracking monogerm variety, so you won't need to do much thinning, saving you time on the plot. It's also known for being very bolt-resistant and producing uniform roots, a proper reliable choice. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
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Cook the harvest
Raw grated beetroot blended into the falafel mixture gives you a striking deep-crimson colour and a naturally sweet earthiness that works beautifully with chickpeas and warm spices. These are baked rather than fried, which makes them far easier to cook in a home kitchen without compromising the crisp exterior. Serve stuffed into flatbreads with plenty of the tangy tahini sauce.
55 min · mediumRaw beetroot is the real hero here — grated and tossed with crisp apple, fennel and red cabbage in a punchy horseradish and crème fraîche dressing. It comes together in under 20 minutes and punches well above its weight alongside grilled fish, cold meats or a cheese board. The colour alone is extraordinary.
18 min · easyJapchae — the Korean glass noodle stir-fry — is given a vivid garden twist here by using matchstick-cut raw beetroot as the primary vegetable, which softens just enough in the wok while keeping a gentle bite. The beetroot bleeds into the noodles, turning everything a deep, jewelled pink, and the soy, sesame oil and gochujang dressing ties it all together with a savoury, lightly spiced warmth. It makes a brilliant weeknight supper on its own or alongside whatever else is coming from the garden.
35 min · mediumA proper showstopper of a tart — roasted beetroot layered over a tangy goat's cheese custard, all held in a nutty, crumbly walnut pastry case. This is the kind of thing that looks like you've made a real effort but rewards you handsomely for it. Serve warm or at room temperature with a simple green salad.
105 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: onions, kohl rabi
Questions people ask
When do you sow Beetroot in the UK?
Sow Beetroot from March to July.
How long does Beetroot take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 60 days, with the harvest June to October.
Which Beetroot varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Boltardy, Detroit 2, Pablo F1, Cylindra and more.
Track your Beetroot from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.